Exercises for museum lessons to support mental health "WAVES"
| Tartu Toy Museum in Estonia and Museum Leikki in Finland have jointly created, as part of a collaborative project, an online collection for (museum) educators entitled “WAVES - Exercises for museum lessons to support mental health "WAVES"” In addition to the Estonian-language edition, the collection is available in Finnish and English. It is intended for (museum) educators working with children and young people aged 4–15. Child psychologists, play therapists, and counsellors have created and compiled games and activities that are sufficiently universal and brief to be incorporated into almost any museum lesson, regardless of the museum’s subject area. The exercises help alleviate anxiety and stress in children and strengthen their social-emotional skills. | |
|
The aim of the project is to improve the quality and effectiveness of the work of museum educators, as well as kindergarten and primary school teachers. As a result of the project, museum educators have increased their capacity, skills, and confidence to integrate mental health topics appropriately into museum lessons on any subject. The manual enhances the competence of kindergarten and primary school teachers to provide students with support for mental health concerns alongside their regular learning activities, and it is available online to everyone.
| |
|
The project “Exercises for Integrating Mental Health Topics into Museum Lessons” was funded by the European Commission’s Erasmus+ programme.
Information about the project: katrin.vask@mm.ee or kadri.toomsalu@mm.ee
| |
|
The image shows children at a children’s camp at the Tartu Toy Museum trying out various exercises that support mental health. (2026)
| |
